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coffeedragon's review
3.25
This has been on my tbr for a while now and I'm glad it's been checked off. I didn't realize it was a retelling and I'm not 💯 sure if I got it right, but I'm thinking it's for Pinocchio? A wooden puppet is given life through magic and then gets punished whenever they lie? ✅ I think
I did enjoy a lot of the elements of this book. I'm a sucker for retellings after all and the idea of animated puppets is pretty cool! The thing is that the MC was so...daft. She just never connected any dots or questioned anything, which was frustrating as a reader. I mean, would it have changed anything? Idk, but at least it would have endeared me to her a bit more. The most interesting parts did end up happening toward the end, which is where I felt her character grew a bit, but then the last scene had to remind me she wasn't so bright 😂 😂
An ok read
I did enjoy a lot of the elements of this book. I'm a sucker for retellings after all and the idea of animated puppets is pretty cool! The thing is that the MC was so...daft. She just never connected any dots or questioned anything, which was frustrating as a reader. I mean, would it have changed anything? Idk, but at least it would have endeared me to her a bit more. The most interesting parts did end up happening toward the end, which is where I felt her character grew a bit, but then the last scene had to remind me she wasn't so bright 😂 😂
An ok read
sunshine169's review against another edition
4.0
Pirouette is a girl who comes to life. Born from wood and blood, under a blue moon, with the incantation of forbidden magic uttered by her father, Tavia's master puppetmaster. Piro, as she is called, learns the skills of the trade under his tutelage and becomes a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Coming from wood herself, she has that extra special connection with her craft. The wood speaks to her. A skill she would come to need if she is to save her father's life after he is captured by Tavia's ruler, The Margrave. In her father's stead Prio has to tirelessly work to finish an impossible order of life-sized marionette wooden soldiers and an assassin. With the approaching blue moon, Piro begins to question the intents of The Margrave and his son.
Puppetmaster's Apprentice is a fantasy novel and a retelling of the classics Pinocchio and Frankenstein. Lisa DeSelm's writing is beautiful and she weaved an enchanting story that is perfect for the fall. I am undecided if the romance element was necessary. The story would have been enjoyable all the same even with its omission..
Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Puppetmaster's Apprentice is a fantasy novel and a retelling of the classics Pinocchio and Frankenstein. Lisa DeSelm's writing is beautiful and she weaved an enchanting story that is perfect for the fall. I am undecided if the romance element was necessary. The story would have been enjoyable all the same even with its omission..
Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
lattes_lipstick_literature's review against another edition
4.0
Pinocchio was one of the first Disney films that I saw as a child and I loved it, so I was delighted to see this gender-bent retelling. I love Pirouette, she is just so courageous, and kind. The story was a delightful wild ride that included many ups and downs. I like that it didn't quite follow the Pinocchio story, but did have some of the famous elements such as Piro being unable to lie. The book just felt so fresh and new, and a bit darker than I thought it was going to be, almost like a Grimms' fairy tale (but not that dark).
There were some moments in which things felt slow but it did pick up the pace after a while, especially at the end. The romance was nice and did not overwhelm or take away from the plot of the story which it can sometimes do in other books. I wish there was a longer epilogue at the end so I could know what happens after everything goes down or maybe this could turn into a series, which would be very interesting and follow different fairy tale characters. I really enjoyed DeSelm's writing, so much so that I read this in one sitting, she definitely has some Disney magic in her finger tips.
Overall, if your a fan of fairy tales and retellings, pick this up.
*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest review*
There were some moments in which things felt slow but it did pick up the pace after a while, especially at the end. The romance was nice and did not overwhelm or take away from the plot of the story which it can sometimes do in other books. I wish there was a longer epilogue at the end so I could know what happens after everything goes down or maybe this could turn into a series, which would be very interesting and follow different fairy tale characters. I really enjoyed DeSelm's writing, so much so that I read this in one sitting, she definitely has some Disney magic in her finger tips.
Overall, if your a fan of fairy tales and retellings, pick this up.
*A Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. This is my honest review*
anadantas's review against another edition
4.0
A maior parte do sofrimento com esse livro foi a discrepância entre a sinopse e a realidade, então para quem não lê sinopses deve ser melhor kkkk. Na dúvida, vou fazer uma sinopse mais realista do que a original:
A história começa com um estilo "releitura de Pinóquio". Pirouette é a filha do fazedor de marionetes (eu ia dizer "titereiro", mas fiquei em dúvida se um titereiro só controla a marionete ou é ele que fabrica também). Exceto que na verdade ela era uma marionete que ganhou vida sob a ação da Lua Azul. Agora, ela e o pai dela estão lutando para terminar uma encomenda muito peculiar para o governante de Távia: 100 soldados de madeira, em tamanho real, cada um com um rosto único. Além de essa ser uma encomenda particularmente estranha - sabemos que o príncipe é meio excêntrico, mas o que ele vai fazer com 100 marionetes em tamanho real? - os prazos apertados e a magnitude da encomenda começam a afetar a saúde do fazedor de marionetes, ameaçando deixar Pirouette pra terminar o trabalho sozinha.
Eu achei os personagens muito bons. O começo é bem calmo, apresentando as pessoas, os conflitos da Pirouette, coisas assim. Quando as coisas começam acelerar tem um momento de frustração porque eu sei pra onde as coisas estão indo, mas a protagonista ainda não, mas depois que cai a ficha ela propõe um plano muito bom.
A conclusão também ficou bem legal (apesar de que eu queria que a assassina tivesse tido um destino diferente e que a Pirouette "não aprendeu nada" com a questão das árvores e das farpas). Nem todas as pontas.foram amarradas - eu acho que tinha elementos que podiam tornar a história ainda melhor se fossem explorados, ou retomados na trama como paralelos narrativos, mas em geral foi uma narrativa gostosa e interessante.
A história começa com um estilo "releitura de Pinóquio". Pirouette é a filha do fazedor de marionetes (eu ia dizer "titereiro", mas fiquei em dúvida se um titereiro só controla a marionete ou é ele que fabrica também). Exceto que na verdade ela era uma marionete que ganhou vida sob a ação da Lua Azul. Agora, ela e o pai dela estão lutando para terminar uma encomenda muito peculiar para o governante de Távia: 100 soldados de madeira, em tamanho real, cada um com um rosto único. Além de essa ser uma encomenda particularmente estranha - sabemos que o príncipe é meio excêntrico, mas o que ele vai fazer com 100 marionetes em tamanho real? - os prazos apertados e a magnitude da encomenda começam a afetar a saúde do fazedor de marionetes, ameaçando deixar Pirouette pra terminar o trabalho sozinha.
Eu achei os personagens muito bons. O começo é bem calmo, apresentando as pessoas, os conflitos da Pirouette, coisas assim. Quando as coisas começam acelerar tem um momento de frustração porque eu sei pra onde as coisas estão indo, mas a protagonista ainda não, mas depois que cai a ficha ela propõe um plano muito bom.
A conclusão também ficou bem legal (apesar de que eu queria que a assassina tivesse tido um destino diferente e que a Pirouette "não aprendeu nada" com a questão das árvores e das farpas). Nem todas as pontas.foram amarradas - eu acho que tinha elementos que podiam tornar a história ainda melhor se fossem explorados, ou retomados na trama como paralelos narrativos, mas em geral foi uma narrativa gostosa e interessante.
womanon's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I did not expect to love this book so much! I was wholly immersed, and was extremely sad when I finished it. I definitely would have wanted to stay in this world longer!
lauding_42's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
Pirouette is born of wood and blood. Her father (Gephardt) is the village puppetmaster. His wife died in childbirth, the child with it, and was living a lonely life. He's visited by a forest fairy figure who tells him that he can bring one of his puppets to life under a blue moon, if he says a certain spell. He carves a detailed marionette, about eleven years old, and brings her to life under the full blue moon. But the spell is secret, and magic is forbidden. If anyone knows what Gephardt did, where Piro came from, they'll both be killed. So they keep this secret, knowing the risk.
There is more risk for Piro. If she tells a lie, a splinter drives from inside of her to the outside of her body, piercing her - there's no telling where the splinter will emerge, but it will hurt and it could be visible.
In addition, their village is under the rule of a despot and his sickly, strange legitimate son. They have commissioned (and Gep and Piro were voluntold - they can't refuse) 100 life-size soldier puppets. Failing to provide this order will be fatal, but the Margrave (ruler) isn't particular about paying appropriately. It's a costly order and it doesn't seem to portend any good thing.
It was interesting and engaging. It wasn't a damsel in distress story, though there is an element of romance. It's not really a profound character study, but it was an interesting take on (as has been noted elsewhere) Pinocchio and Frankenstein.
Worth a read; I would read more from this author, but I don't know if I'll reread the book.
Pirouette is born of wood and blood. Her father (Gephardt) is the village puppetmaster. His wife died in childbirth, the child with it, and was living a lonely life. He's visited by a forest fairy figure who tells him that he can bring one of his puppets to life under a blue moon, if he says a certain spell. He carves a detailed marionette, about eleven years old, and brings her to life under the full blue moon. But the spell is secret, and magic is forbidden. If anyone knows what Gephardt did, where Piro came from, they'll both be killed. So they keep this secret, knowing the risk.
There is more risk for Piro. If she tells a lie, a splinter drives from inside of her to the outside of her body, piercing her - there's no telling where the splinter will emerge, but it will hurt and it could be visible.
In addition, their village is under the rule of a despot and his sickly, strange legitimate son. They have commissioned (and Gep and Piro were voluntold - they can't refuse) 100 life-size soldier puppets. Failing to provide this order will be fatal, but the Margrave (ruler) isn't particular about paying appropriately. It's a costly order and it doesn't seem to portend any good thing.
It was interesting and engaging. It wasn't a damsel in distress story, though there is an element of romance. It's not really a profound character study, but it was an interesting take on (as has been noted elsewhere) Pinocchio and Frankenstein.
Worth a read; I would read more from this author, but I don't know if I'll reread the book.
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5, rounded up, review coming soon.
Side note, the world needs more Pinocchio retellings; this one was awesome.
Side note, the world needs more Pinocchio retellings; this one was awesome.
dinipandareads's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by Caffeine Book Tours. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars
Wow, I can't believe this is a debut novel because I honestly can't find one bad thing to say about it. The writing was luscious and magical, the characters were filled with life, and it was just as creepy and atmospheric as that gorgeous cover portrays it to be. I was never a huge fan of Pinnochio growing up because that movie scared the life out of me, and I still need to read Frankenstein, but the combination intrigued me and I'm so glad that I had the chance to read this! It's definitely one of the more unique YA fantasies I've read in a while.
It's clear the minute you start reading that this is a fairytale but it's a bit of a twisted one. There's an oppressive atmosphere that hovers over the village and its people, despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life, that sits in stark contrast to the old, still, and creepy forest that teems with the lively whispering of the trees. DeSelm's writing was a treat to read. It's so richly descriptive without being purple and it made the story and characters truly come alive. There's a spookiness that is weaved through the words that steadily increases as the story unfolds and it really notches up the creepy factor, especially towards the end. Let me tell you, if I wasn't already wary of puppets and dolls, this book would've solidified those feelings because... Oof, y'all, they aren't things to be messed with!
Wow, I can't believe this is a debut novel because I honestly can't find one bad thing to say about it. The writing was luscious and magical, the characters were filled with life, and it was just as creepy and atmospheric as that gorgeous cover portrays it to be. I was never a huge fan of Pinnochio growing up because that movie scared the life out of me, and I still need to read Frankenstein, but the combination intrigued me and I'm so glad that I had the chance to read this! It's definitely one of the more unique YA fantasies I've read in a while.
It's clear the minute you start reading that this is a fairytale but it's a bit of a twisted one. There's an oppressive atmosphere that hovers over the village and its people, despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life, that sits in stark contrast to the old, still, and creepy forest that teems with the lively whispering of the trees. DeSelm's writing was a treat to read. It's so richly descriptive without being purple and it made the story and characters truly come alive. There's a spookiness that is weaved through the words that steadily increases as the story unfolds and it really notches up the creepy factor, especially towards the end. Let me tell you, if I wasn't already wary of puppets and dolls, this book would've solidified those feelings because... Oof, y'all, they aren't things to be messed with!